May 4, 2026

Shidare-zakura (weeping cherry) flowers: Kencho-ji

Shidare-zakura (weeping cherry) flowers: Kencho-ji

Flowers are destined to bloom and soon fade away as the floral organs for pollination and reproduction. For humans, their fleeting beauty appears in this world only to vanish into the void as if nothing had ever happened. 

The flowering season of Sakura has long since passed, and those delicate flowers that had once bloomed so splendidly have all fallen and disappeared completely, but their beautiful memories are remaining within me as unforgettable afterimages.

Spring transforms the appearance of life rapidly and beautifully, one change after another. Living things revive from their winter slumber, and the natural landscape transforms with astonishing speed. Spurred on by capricious spring breezes and bright sunlight, new varieties of flowers bloom one after another, and the fresh green foliage of various plants appears rapidly, flourishing as if to be conjured by a magic trick. 

The birds that had been holding their breath in winter begin to chirp lively, and the insects that had been hiding somewhere begin to emerge one after another and take to the air.

This world keeps changing swiftly. All are born and disappear in a flash. In this vast universe, all things are impermanent and continue changing consistently. The rapid changes in the landscape of life in spring teach me this ultimate principle through the beautiful metaphor of living creatures.


 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

As if to bless those entering the majestic San-gedatsu-mon Gate (the three gateways to enlightenment), the fresh flowers of the Somei-yoshino sakura trees, that are awaiting their full bloom days, are quietly shining in the bright spring sunlight.

The plaque displayed above the gate bears the characters for the temple’s official name, “Kencho Kokoku Zenji.” This name combines “Kencho” (the era name of its founding in 1253), “Kokoku” (prosperity of the nation through the spirit of Zen), and “Zenji” (the temple of the Rinzai school of Zen). 

Hojo Tokiyori, the fifth Shikken (regent) of the Kamakura Shogunate, invited the Song Dynasty monk "Rankei Doryu" to Japan in hopes of bringing peace to the land and established this Zen temple.

The San-gedatsu-mon is the main gate representing Zen temples and symbolizes the three essential gateways of liberation (Gedatsu) that Zen monks must pass through to attain enlightenment, namely, Ku-gedatsu-mon (the gateway of realizing that all things are empty and intangible), Muso-gedatsu-mon (the gateway of realizing that everything is formless, transient, and interdependent), and Musaku-gedatsu-mon (the gateway of realizing that all things exist naturally as they are, letting go of the mind that vainly seeks fictitious enlightenment and artificial artifice, and intuitively accepting all things as they naturally are).

These three gateways of liberation represent the three fundamental paths to freeing oneself from the three fundamental afflictions (three poisons) in Buddhism—namely, burning desire, ill will, and ignorance—and reaching the state of ultimate enlightenment.

Within the universal law of interdependency, every living thing endures harsh environmental burdens, living naturally without any artifice, and fades away just as they naturally do. These innocent Sakura flowers, blooming so beautifully, are no exception.



 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Tsurugaoka-hachimangu

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Tsurugaoka-hachimangu

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Tsurugaoka-hachimangu

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Tsurugaoka-hachimangu

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Shidare-zakura (weeping cherry) flowers: Kencho-ji

Shidare-zakura (weeping cherry) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Shidare-zakura (weeping cherry) flowers: Kencho-ji

Shidare-zakura (weeping cherry) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Shidare-zakura (weeping cherry) flowers: Kencho-ji

Shidare-zakura (weeping cherry) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Yoko-sakura flowers: Kencho-ji

Yoko-sakura flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

 

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji

Someiyoshino sakura (Prunus yedoensis) flowers: Kencho-ji


March 12, 2026

Tamanawa-zakura (Prunus x yedoensis 'Tamanawa-zakura') flowers: Ofuna Flower Center (Kamakura)

Tamanawa-zakura (Prunus x yedoensis 'Tamanawa-zakura') flowers: Ofuna Flower Center

Ume flowers quietly herald the stealthy arrival of spring with their modest beauty and fragrance, while sakura flowers let us know the prime of spring clearly with their magnificent splendor.

The ume flowers have already passed their days of glory and their elegant figures and aromas are beginning to fade quickly. Early-blooming sakura flowers are now appearing successively as the symbolic successors of spring flowers. Mercifully, it makes me forget the sadness of seeing the plum flowers fade away.

The Tamanawa-zakura is an early-blooming cultivar native to Kamakura City. It was developed in 1969 at the Ofuna Flower Center through a natural, accidental mating between the Somei-Yoshino zakura and early-blooming Ookan zakura. "Tamanawa" is the old name of the location where this flower center is situated. This beautiful flower born as a result of God's whim fully blooms from late February to mid-March.

Its distinctive features include a pale pink color similar to that of the Somei-Yoshino zakura and a long blooming period (approximately one month). As a spring flower representing Kamakura, it is widely planted in temples, shrines, and parks throughout this ancient city.